


Bad Dreams, Bad Memories

by Daniel_RED_Scout



Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Clank had a nightmare, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, I do high-key ship them but not in this work, I'm bad at tagging can you tell?, It's a pairing but only if you squint, M/M, Male Friendship, My first non-TF2 fanfictions holy crap, Nightmares, Ratchet is such a good friend I love him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 01:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14225904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daniel_RED_Scout/pseuds/Daniel_RED_Scout
Summary: Clank awakens one night from a terrible Nightmare and looks to Ratchet for comfort.Trying to calm himself only leads to re-awakening awful memories Clank would much rather forget.(Takes place after Crack in Time.)





	Bad Dreams, Bad Memories

**Author's Note:**

> I know right, something that's NOT TF2? I'm sorry, I re-discovered Ratchet and Clank the other week and now I'm obsessed again.  
> (And also, James Arnold Taylor liked one of my Tweets and I may have freaked out, like a LOT.)  
> I'll try and jot down some more TF2 drabbles because the Scout/Sniper ones are insanely well-received.

Ever so gently the Lombax lifted his fallen robot companion from the floor of their room to the warmth and safety of their bed. Holding Clank close to his body and tucking him in.  
"You alright pal? You screamed pretty loud."  
"I screamed?" Clank had awoken from a terrible nightmare that seemed far too real for his liking, but upon awakening he'd thrown himself out of the bed he shared with Ratchet in their apartment, landing on the ground with a thud and giving himself an unpleasant and rather painful dint.  
"Yeah, you made me jump!"  
Clank looked down at the ground in shame, "I sincerely apologise Ratchet. I... did not mean to. It was a night-terror I could not awaken from."  
"Hey. Clank it's okay! Do I look mad?"  
"No... but I still feel guilty."  
Ratchet rolled his eyes and cradled the robot protectively, snuggling him as he moved into the middle of the bed with Clank securely held in his arms.  
"Wanna tell me about it?"  
"I... cannot. I am sorry but... you would not understand."  
"Try me Clank."  
"Ratchet... I... oh dear."  
"Hey."  
Clank looked up at Ratchet and the Lombax was smiling, his tired eyes were half-lidded and looking into the Robot's glowing green ones. Clank could tell Ratchet was tired but didn't want to cut his friend off by telling him to go to sleep.  
"You don't have to tell me. It's okay."  
"No. I do want to. I just do not know how..."  
Clank snuggled up to Ratchet before letting out a 'sigh'.  
"Very well. You remember our endeavour at The Great Clock? Regarding General Azimuth."  
"How could I forget...?" Ratchet winced. He was still in a bit of a state from the whole catastrophe. Alister, someone Ratchet looked up to had almost destroyed the Universe as they knew it. And to save it had given up his own life. It had hit Ratchet quite hard because for the first time since Angela Cross he'd met another Lombax. And that particular Lombax had known his father, Kaden. Shame he was gone now.  
"Well..." Clank continued, "The first time he attacked you... he killed you."  
"Wait... what? 'First time'? What are you talking about?"

Clank started shaking, fluid of some form began collecting in his eyes, not tears but some other clear robotic fluid that Ratchet supposed would be considered tears. He tried to hold them back so as not to appear weak and smaller than he actually was, but eventually Clank couldn't hold the flood gates closed any longer. Besides, he reasoned, Ratchet had already seen him at his worst, he knew the Lombax wouldn't judge. Clank was now full-on crying and Ratchet was quick to comfort his best friend.  
"Hey! Hey Clank! Shhh, it's okay!"  
"Alister Azimuth killed you Ratchet, how is that okay? I could do nothing but watch as you died! I stood by as you were hit, as you stumbled backwards and fell off the edge of the platform! I did nothing to stop it, and had to use the Clock to save you... Had it been any longer than six minutes I would have lost you forever! I am so so sorry, please forgive me!"  
Clank was sobbing into his hands and trying to recollect himself, but at the time was in too much of a state to calm down.  
Ratchet had never heard Clank's voice so broken and desperate before. What had happened must have really affected Clank and yet he'd kept it to himself for almost six months now.

"Clank, hey... come on pal, I'm here aren't I?"  
"Yes. But technically you should NOT be!"

Ratchet's ears drooped and he pulled Clank as close as he possibly could without injuring himself or the little robot, snuggling him and shushing him as he did so in attempt to relax him back to his regular state. Clank's metal was warm to the touch and it seemed like he'd burnt himself out by getting so worked up.  
Clank did eventually calm down completely after cuddling the Lombax and clinging to him for roughly five minutes. Happy his friend had relaxed again, Ratchet pulled Clank away from his body a little.  
"There. Better?"  
"Yes. I am now, thank you Ratchet. I am sorry I broke down like that..."  
"Happens to the best of us pal, it's good to let it out every now and then."  
Clank wiped his eyes and looked up at Ratchet, sad still.

"Can you promise me something Ratchet?"  
"Anything pal!"  
"Promise me... you will take more care on our adventures from now onwards. I do not want to lose you before your time. You... mean far too much to me. I abandoned my destiny to make sure you were not alone. And I will not leave you until we have found the Lombaxes."  
Ratchet didn't really know what to say. The adventures him and Clank went on we're always fraught with danger, plus with Ratchet being the trigger-happy, 'shoot first, ask questions later' kinda guy he was, it would mean this promise would be hard to keep. But when Ratchet glanced down at Clank who was looking up at him with wide eyes, giving him a pleading and almost desperate expression, Ratchet decided.  
"Okay, I promise. From now on I'll be more careful."  
"Good. Thank you Ratchet. I really do appreciate that."

Yawning, Ratchet turned to his side with Clank cradled in his arms still, emitting a barely audible purr as Clank gently pet his neck.  
"Good night Ratchet."  
"Night Clank. And if you have another Nightmare, wake me up, okay?"  
The robot nodded before closing his eyes and powering down for the night, tucked into Ratchet's chest, sharing his best friend's bed, warm and safe.


End file.
